Albanian European Integration challenges at the time of COVID-19

On July 1, 2020, the European Commission presented to the Council the draft Framework for Membership Negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia, defining the main guidelines and principles. The document was drafted following an invitation to the Commission at the General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting in March 2020, in which a decision was made to open negotiations for both countries. A credible EU perspective of the Western Balkans countries remains crucial to ensure the much-needed regional stability and to support to build resilient, prosperous and peaceful states. The Western Balkans are the part of Europe. The unanimous support towards the opening of the accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, as well as the support of the new enlargement methodology in March by the European Council is an important milestone in that regard for the whole region. The new enlargement methodology provides the necessary credibility, political focus, efficiency and merit based approach for the whole process as well as great impetus for the regional cooperation. The Western Balkans countries have shown real determination to continue to intensify their regional and EU cooperation in several fields, as well as to keep focusing nowadays on COVID response measures such as keeping the supply flow operational and coordinate efforts to fight the epidemic , facilitating the implementation of the four freedoms in the region and the necessary level of economic cooperation, working together on important topics such as climate change or security. The region is implementing the commitments and initiatives made within the framework of the Berlin Process.